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Day: May 17, 2018

We thought it time to put our brains to work over the weekend. We went to Willow Wren training centre to do the marine radio short range certificate course in anticipation of us taking Firecrest onto tidal rivers. We’d spent a few weeks communicating using the phonetic NATO alphabet which was challenging in itself if you know anything about our spelling ability. And we’d got ourselves thoroughly bogged down ploughing through the handbook.

Izzy had prepared a welcome board for us as we cruised onto the wharf. And then Steve came to say hello and let us know that we were the only two doing to course this time.

Of course because it was only the two of us, there was a lot of fun had as we ad libbed the carefully prepared practice messages. But we obviously behaved ourselves well enough for Steve to hand us over to David to take the test. And of course our hours of careful homework paid off as we both passed with flying colours, one of us just slightly better than the other, but I don’ like to gloat.

On a serious side, Eric and I both felt that Willow Wren deserves it’s good reputation as a training centre. Steve immediately picked up on our personalities and learning needs. And the venue was well equipped and pleasant. The site as a whole is still a work in progress but it’s very sympathetic to the environent.

It’s a beautiful setting just off the canal

And the swans know they’ll get fed especially when they bring the children. Steve has a big bag of appropriate food and we give then porridge oats and lettuce.